Pavel Haas Quartet performs Dvořák's 'American' Quartet
About the event
Folk dances, trains, birds, and spirituals, served up in accessible melodies: that is Dvořák's 'American' Quartet. And there is no better performer of this than the Pavel Haas Quartet, which cherishes a great love for music from its own country. This promises to be an evening full of fire and passion, not only in Dvořák, but also in Janáček and Korngold. Pavel Haas Quartet
'They play as if their lives depend on it,' writes The Times about the Pavel Haas Quartet. That is a profound truth. These players approach their work with fire and passion, in any music whatsoever. They have a special bond with composers from their homeland, and that is evident tonight. Alongside Janáček and Korngold, the quartet, a regular guest at the Kleine Zaal, plays Dvořák's 'American' Quartet. Their recording of this was even named Album of the Year by Gramophone.
Dvořák's 'American' Quartet
Dvořák's Twelfth String Quartet, the 'American' one, would fit perfectly in a commercial for travel to America. You hear folk dances, trains, birds, and spirituals, and everything is served up in accessible melodies. That simplicity is akin to Haydn's clear language, but the composer does not cut corners. He masterfully captures the peace and space of the American landscape in his notes. The work was created in a holiday village with Czech immigrants. Homesickness is never far away with Dvořák, yet a happier man sounds here than in the Ninth Symphony or the Cello Concerto. In the score, he wrote: 'Thank you, God. I am satisfied. It went fast.'
